Committee for Economic Development

Committee for Economic Development

"Throughout its 62-year history, the Committee for Economic Development has addressed national priorities that promote sustained economic growth and development to benefit all Americans. These activities have quite literally helped shape the future on issues ranging from the Marshall Plan in the late 1940s, to education reform in the past two decades, and campaign finance reform since 2000." 

Education
"Nowhere has CED's involvement been more critical in recent years than in our education policy work. In February 2004, we released a report on school finance entitled Investing in Learning: School Funding Policies to Foster High Performance. With major funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, CED is sponsoring four urban conferences-New York and Austin in 2004 to be followed by Los Angeles and Chicago in 2005-to discuss issues relating to the growing number of "adequacy" lawsuits around the country, and subjects such as resource allocation, teacher compensation, and decentralization.

"We were honored once again in 2005 to work with the MetLife Foundation to release their 2004-2005 annual survey of the American teacher entitled "Transitions and the Role of Supportive Relationships." This annual survey provides vital information for the policy community, elected officials, and education practitioners. CED is proud to have a long standing relationship with MetLife Foundation, including CED-sponsored discussions in New York, St. Louis, and Denver for their 2003 survey.

"CED's pathbreaking work in presenting the economic arguments for investing in early childhood education will continue to be driven by strong Trustee interest. The Pew Charitable Trusts made a sizeable grant to CED to conduct further research; the work of Noble Laureate in economics James Heckman at the University of Chicago was presented at a December 4, 2004, forum in Washington, DC, sponsored jointly by CED, The Pew Charitable Trusts, and PNC Financial Group; and the "Invest in Kids Working Group" meets at CED to consider and sponsor new research. The second universal pre-kindergarten sub-committee has been launched and is being co-chaired by Robert Dugger, Managing Director, Tudor Investment Corporation; James Rohr, Chairman and CEO, PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.; and Daniel Rose, Chairman, Rose Associates, Inc.

"With leadership from CED Trustees John Brademas, President Emeritus, New York University; CED President Charles Kolb; and Alfred Mockett, former Chairman and CEO, CGI-AMS, Inc., CED launched a new project in November on international studies and foreign languages. Working closely with the Asia Society and with financial support from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, CED Trustees will make recommendations on ways to enhance the study of foreign languages and to expose more young Americans to the world outside our borders. This work comes at a critical time in our history when American political, economic, military, and cultural influence should be accompanied by a greater understanding of foreign cultures. The need for more speakers of foreign languages, for example, is not a cultural luxury but now a key national security imperative." 

Globalization and Trade
"CED's international program remains strong and saw the completion of a second project chaired by James D. Robinson III, General Partner and Co-Founder, RRE Ventures, on trade and outsourcing entitled, "Making Trade Work: Straight Talk on Jobs, Trade, and Adjustment." At CED's annual dinner on May 19, 2004, General Motors received our Excellence in Public Policy Award, and GM's former chairman and chief executive officer from 1992 to 2000, Jack Smith, spoke about GM's commitment to global corporate citizenship and also presented an overview of his company's activities in the Peoples Republic of China. GM's current chairman and CEO, Rick Wagoner, presented the CED award to Mr. Smith.

"CED has also been working with UNESCO representatives to further that international organization's ten-year commitment to "Education for All." CED's President Charles Kolb met with UNESCO Director General Koichiro Matsuura and U.S. Ambassador to UNESCO Louise Oliver to explain ways in which CED's example of business leaders engaged in public policy might encourage similar efforts by businesses in the developing world. This work has coincided with the re-establishment of the United States as a member of UNESCO after a 19-year absence." 

Democratic Institutions
"In the area of democratic institutions, CED Trustees in 2004 participated in efforts devoted to judicial selection reform in New York, North Carolina, and Texas. A second sub-committee on campaign finance reform, co-chaired by Edward Kangas, Retired Chairman & CEO, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, and George Rupp, President, International Rescue Committee, continued CED's interest in strengthening the country's campaign finance system. This new look at the role money plays in Federal election campaigns re-emphasized the need to reform the Federal Election Commission, curb the abuse of so-called "Section 527" committees, and revive the languishing campaign finance system for presidential primary and general election campaigns. We are grateful to the Carnegie Corporation of New York for continued support of CED's campaign finance reform work." 

Trustees

 * Rex D. Adams

Contact

 * Web: http://www.ced.org